Purifying emissions of chemical waste, such as fiber resins and other pollutants from fiber glass insulation manufacturing facilities, is an increasingly difficult problem. Strict environmental standards and the need to operate such facilities at a continuous and efficient level of production have given rise to a need for a safe, highly efficient, and reliable system for purifying emissions.
The variety of apparatus and systems currently available do not economically provide for the purification of emissions at environmentally acceptable levels. In addition, none of the apparatus and systems found in the prior art and in current technology has been able to eliminate effectively the inherent safety dangers and operating problems caused by the accumulation of particulate matter in the purification system. These accumulations are especially dangerous in exhaust ducts leading from high-temperature manufacturing operations where they pose serious fire hazards. The accumulations also hinder the overall effectiveness of the purification system by lowering its efficiency and requiring it and the fiber glass insulation manufacturing operation to be shut-down for periodic cleaning.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the invention to provide a process and system for purifying waste associated with the manufacture of fiber glass insulation which is efficient, economical, environmentally acceptable, and avoids fire hazards and other disadvantages of currently known systems.
A further object is to provide a process and system as above described in which freshly screened water is always pumped through orifices or restricted liquid flow paths whereby coagulation is minimized and blockage of spray tips, inlet ducts, fans, and, (if used), an electrostatic precipitator is prevented.
Another object of the invention is to purify such waste emissions by utilizing scrubbing systems designed to effectively remove particulate matter therefrom.
A specific object of the invention is to purify such emissions by utilizing separate scrubbing systems on forming air exhaust from the fiber glass insulation forming process and on oven air exhausted from the fiber glass insulation oven process.
Yet another object of the invention is to further purify such emissions by channelling scrubbed forming air and oven air through precipitator means and discharge prior to ultimate discharge into the atmosphere.
Yet a further object of the invention is to purify said emissions by channelling oven air emissions from the oven process through a scrubbing system and then into the forming process where the exhausted forming air may be further scrubbed and passed through discharge means prior to ultimate discharge into the atmosphere.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following exemplary description thereof.